Header__ARTICLEShorter
line12
slsrh-logo1

SOCIETY OF LAND SPEED RACING HISTORIANS
NEWSLETTER 62 - June 3, 2008
Editor: Richard Parks [email protected]
President's Corner: By Jim Miller (1-818-846-5139)

Click On All Images For Larger View

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

President's Corner: By Jim Miller
  1957 was a banner year for us car nuts. I'd chopped the rear fender off my new Schwinn cruiser bike and added a flame job to it and had to do a test run. A bunch of us guys peddled our you know whats down to the local Chevy dealer to check out the new car and gaze upon the rear fins of a real beauty. Wow! A few mounths earlier I had gotten a 1/25 scale promotional model of a '56 Chevy made by AMT. It was blue and white and had a stamped metal chassis that unscrewed. I took is apart and screwed it up big time. Sandpaper does a great job of removing paint and all the chrome trim cast into the plastic. Normally the car sat a half inch off the ground but by the time I had finished cutting off the posts that the screws went into the thing was scraping the ground. The front bumper and interior were tossed too. At the time customs were tail draggers but not this one. The nose was in the weeds because lakes cars were that way and who needed a bumper anyway. Land speed racers were in all the magazines and some of us knew all about them or so we thought. After being weaned on Kenz & Leslie, City of Pasadena and Burbank, Chapel, Herbert, Post et all a really different car showed up in '57 that really floated my boat. It was called the M.G.EX181. It looked fast just standing still and in real life it was also. Looking back on the car today it was a rear engineering marvel compared to the backyard built liners of the day. The car was powered by a peanut sized motor of 90.88 cubic inches. Back in '52, Bill Burke had run a crude Harley powered car to a speed of 138.14 mph that would be in the same class so it was a real shock when the thing set a record of 245.11 mph for the mile, faster than the Hill-Davis Class B record. 

JMC_Plan of M.G1
JMC_MG EX181 Motor1
JMC_ EX181 Cylinder Head1

Take a look at the attached illustrations from the August 30, '57 issue of Autocar for a moment and you'll see why the car was so fast. The major reason it was so fast was frontal area, the car was small. As a comparison this car was 10% smaller than their old car and had 30% less wind resistance. The supercharged engine put out a whopping 290 horsepower and that was a lot for those days. Look at the head. It looks like it came off an Offy with the hemi-shaped combustion chamber and check out the cups for the cams. Of major interest is the way the exhaust exited the car. They ran the pipe exits parallel with the body to keep the boundry layer attached to the body like it should be. It was also nice of Dunlop to build some special small 24" tires for it. The body shape would influence another record breaker a couple of years later in the form of Bill Burke's "Golden Commode" or Pumpkin Seed liner that Jim Travis still runs today. The car still exists in England and if you replaced the old-teck power plant with a modern setup it would probable be able to run 300.
Another car that showed up at Bonneville in '57, changed the face of liners from that day foreward. Consider the M.G. as old school with wide front and rear treads while this new car was really radical as the tread width was only 24" wide. How radical was it? The S.C.T.A. in its infinate wisdom wouldn't let the car enter the competition as they thought it would tip over. It did, however, do some shakedown runs under great scrutiny getting up to a speed of 166 mph with an old Riley-Ford for power. It was built by John Vesco and was last seen at Bonneville last October in its 50 plus years of modifications form.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial: I sent out about 150 requests for biographies and received about 10 back so far. While you may think those are awful odds, in fact that is quite an impressive response. I did some rewrites, sent them back, did some more rewrites and slowly they rounded into good shape. Some of the writers crafted biographies, or rather autobiographies, that were so well written and chronologically perfect that all that I had to do was format the style and put it in my Gone Racin' archives. Roger Rohrdanz, our resident photographer, will check his archives for photographs or arrange to go and take the photos, double check the biographies and then he will send them into www.hotrodhotline.com (Guest Columnist section). Later I will transfer some of the biographies and stories to the newsletter and repost it to www.landspeedracing.com. The Gone Racin' by-line is the main conduit for stories, biographies, cruises, car shows, racing and car related articles. Roger and I then send out the various articles to wherever they need to go or where they will be most appreciated. We check our schedules and see what we can do and what we can squeeze in. Roger specializes in car shows and drag racing. I specialize in land speed racing, reunions and the old fart stuff. We both do "off the wall" kinds of automotive events. The off the wall events might be truck racing, bike shows and racing and the sort of events that doesn't always get a lot of attention in the press. We are open to any suggestions, so if your group has a show or event, let us know, but be sure to give us plenty of time to plan for it as our calendars are full. That's one reason why we love it when someone comes to us and says, "would you like my story on such-and-such?" If you know of a land speed racing event in the past or the present and have written something, send it in. I haven't turned down anyone yet. If it's historical and tells a story about our hot-rodding and land speed racing, we want it and will publish it. My problem is that I will write on and report what I know and after that knowledge is exhausted, there is nothing else left for me to write about. I need you to be my eyes and ears and to send stories and reports of events for me to publish. Soon I have to start on the project to record all that we know about the early dry lakes, land speed racing, my father's impact and all the early pioneers. I will need all of you to write what you know and create a sort of anthology. Otherwise, my value to you will be limited to how much I have witnessed first hand and that isn't much. So start on your biographies and your stories. By the way, a biography is a chronological outline of your life with names, dates and places. The STORY of your life, or stories in general, are the funny, sad and interesting things that happen to you. You can write a story without names, dates and places, though they help any story. A story is something that explains an event. One funny story was told to me by Ak Miller as he went on a motorcycle race through Baja California. He told me that he was out in the desert, out of gas, with no water, laying on the sand looking up at the sky and giving names to all the circling vultures overhead. He was totally alone, miles from help and with no certainty that he would live. Another racer drove by, stopped and said, "Ak, nice day for a ride isn't it." Ak's mouth is so parched that all he can grunt is, "yedtttttthhhh." The racer says, "See you at the next rest stop," and takes off leaving Ak stranded in the desert. Ak never finished the story on how he managed to get into the rest area where the water, food and gasoline was waiting. He chose to stress the isolation and the humor of laying there wondering why he chose to go on this race in the first place. It's a short story, but it tells us so much about the times and the people. Start working on your biography and your stories today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's notes: You will see that I mention the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum quite a lot and you may wonder if this is favoritism on my part and the answer is a decidedly YES and NO. Am I proud of what my father achieved and that they named a museum after him? Well, yes, I am. Am I also supportive and proud of the museum in Los Angeles that they have named after Robert Petersen, and the answer to that is yes, I am. I knew Bob, not well, but I knew him and he was a gentleman and a hot rodder at heart and anything that I can do to keep his name and goals alive, I would like to do. What about the Don Garlits drag racing museum in Florida? Don is one of those special men in people's lives. I think the world of him and what he's trying to do to keep the hot rodding and drag racing history alive. What some people don't know is that Don is also an avid fan of land speed racing as well and he helps to keep that heritage alive. Garlits began to collect, store and exhibit race cars long before the idea caught on. Don, you see, is always ahead of the curve. He would have been a lot more wealthier and have a lot more wins if he had come into the sport of drag racing 20 years later than he did. But that's not what Don is. He's not a person who keeps up with trends. He's a person who sets those trends for the rest of us. What about the Justice Brothers Car Care Museum in Duarte, California. Ed Justice Sr and his son, Ed Justice Jr are special men. They have created a fantastic museum dedicated to racing history and they continue to add to it. They could just as easily sell off what they have and use the proceeds to enjoy a well deserved rest. Their idea of a vacation is to go out and find a gem of a car, restore it lovingly and display it for all to see. The Nethercut Museum in Sylmar is another great museum and though the founder has passed away, the dedicated people at the Nethercut continue to keep this collection intact. The Automotive Museum in San Diego is another Southern California gem, one that our own Rodger Ward dedicated so much of his life to. Another local treasure is the Field of Dreams Auto Museum in Costa Mesa, California, at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Sadly, two collections are headed for the auction block. Joe MacPherson's fine set of cars, including my uncle Kenny's midget, will be auctioned off in two weeks at Joe's Garage, which will be shut down. Anyone who knew Joe MacPherson understood his passion for race cars. He passed away at too young an age and the demands of the tax man means another collection will be broken up. Henry Astor's fine collection of 400 cars in Anaheim, California, is also going up for auction in June. I toured Astor's outstanding collection and met the man. Henry is a great collector, but he realizes that at his age he can control the destiny of his collection, or let the estate do it for him. While we are saddened to see great car collections broken up, they also allow for other individuals and groups to expand their collections. I haven't begun to express how grateful we are to collectors everywhere, nor to mention them all. The newsletter will publish PR releases, articles, event showings and anything else that is sent to me for publication. The reason the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is so prominently displayed in the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians is due to Bill Groak. Not only is he a really great guy and a true friend, but he is a bundle of energy, just like the fabled Doug Stokes, and he inundates me with news all the time. What does an editor like? I love it when people give me news and stories. It saves me from having to go out and cover the events myself and I can concentrate on just editing. If in doubt, SEND IT OUT, to me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club announces the 16th Annual Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame 'GAS-UP' will be held in Buellton California on Saturday September 27th, 2008.

DSC047881

The event begins at 9:00 am, includes a Santa Maria-style Barbeque lunch followed by the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony and concludes with raffle prizes until 5:00 pm. Land speed and dry lakes racers, hot-rodders and other interested enthusiasts inclined to bench race with famous, and infamous, racers are invited to attend this entertaining and memorable event.

Photos of past events, a list of Hall of Fame Members, and further details are available at the official website www.oilstick.com where a registration form may be printed out and mailed in. Space has always been limited and veteran attendees know that pre-registration (beginning in May) is highly recommended. Tickets purchased early average $42 - $45, (a limited number will be available at the door for $52 - $55). The Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame began in 1992 as a one-time event of the Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club to honor a few people thought to have made a difference in hot-rodding and dry lakes racing. The party was such a success that the following year the first official "Gas-Up" event was held at club member Jack Mendenhall's Petroleum Museum in Buellton, and evolved into this much-anticipated annual event. Each year the club recognizes and honors those outstanding individuals who have contributed significantly to the sport of land speed racing on the dry lake beds, past and present - car owners, builders, manufacturers, sponsors, event volunteers, and the media who preserve the history for everyone. In addition, and of equal importance, is to honor outstanding vehicles that have been created by these talented people. For additional information or to put your name on the mailing list for a registration packet which includes a map and listings of local hotels (mailed in May), please call the Gold Coast Roadster & Racing Club at 805-245-8519; P.O. Box 1234, Buellton, CA 93427. From John Julis (Road Runner/SCTA)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just became aware of the Society in communications with Louise Noeth and would like to join. I have been a free-lance photojournalist documenting land speed racing for various publications (primarily Volkswagen based magazines) since 1978 and am the unofficial historian for all things land speed and Volkswagen. Please let me know what is required to become a member. Sincerely, Burly Burlile, Mendon UT 84325   Burly: Go to the website, www.landspeedracing.com and sign in. They will give you a code number, which you will keep. That's it. There are no duties, fees, dues or responsibilities other than that which you wish to do. We do have goals. They are: 1) compile your biography, 2) then write biographies for those around you who can't, won't or have passed on, 3) caption all your photographs in your albums, 4) help us find libraries, museums, archives and other facilities to receive the artifacts that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Whatever you submit for publication will go into the newsletter. Our purpose is to preserve the rich heritage of land speed racing and hot rodding, worldwide. Read the back issues and that should help you clarify what kind of an informal group that we are.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Compressed Air Car developed by Motor Development International (MDI) Founder Guy Negre might be the best thing to have happened to the motor engine in years. The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the planned Air Car models, can hit 68 mph and has a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with custom air compressor units. MDI says it should cost only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air! The Air Car will be starting production relatively soon, thanks to India's TATA Motors. Forget corn! There's fuel, there's renewable fuel, and then there's user-renewable fuel! What can be better than air? This six-seater taxi should be available in India this year -2008! Now If We Can Just Get It In The USA.   George Steele  George: Would SCTA have a class for an air fueled land speed car?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are to be commended for the excellent job you have done on my "scribbling" and I really appreciate your efforts. In all my life I never dreamed someone would want to write my biog! You just made my hat size jump from 7-1/4 to 15-1/2!  Anonymous  Readers: This was a personal message and that's why I'm using Anonymous, but there is an important message here. The writer is referring to his biography and he is expressing a sentiment that most of you have told me. That is, "I'm not anyone important, who would want to know about me?" Or, as the writer said, "I never dreamed someone would want to write my biog!" The reason these views are expressed are not because each of you does not have a biography or even that your life is not important. Would you say to me, "Richard, why are you writing your biography, YOU'RE not important?" You would never say that to me or to anyone else and yet you say it about YOURSELF. The truth of it is that there is absolutely no one who hasn't had an interesting life. There are a few who have books written about them. There are a lot more who have magazine articles done on them. There are millions of people who are mentioned a few times in the newspapers. If we count obituaries, wedding announcements and births, probably all of us get some attention in the press. So why would this writer and member feel like so many of the rest of you, that you are shocked when someone would be interested in your life? The real reason that you all feel this way is that you are not used to talking about yourself. Writing about yourself is UNFAMILIAR to you. Since I am working on my 280th story, I have long ago lost any shyness about writing on you or myself. It gets easier as you do it more often. The purpose of our group is to record history and each of you lived through history. You lived at a historic time and you know people who were the very pioneers of what we love to do. It would be the same as if you all grew up knowing St Peter and St Paul. Well, our Saints are the founders of auto racing and if we didn't know Otto or Porsche, we knew men who knew Henry Ford and some of you may have met him. If you don't write about those experiences, who will? I'm sure that we can find some of our new members, those who are in their twenty's who will write their stories, but they are 4 generations removed from those early day experiences. What you have to say is vitally important. Just because you don't think they are important, doesn't mean that those memories are insignificant. You may think your life is unimportant. I don't believe that, but you might. Don't write for yourself, write for future generations of land speed racers and hot rodders. I guarantee that what you don't think is very important will be fascinating reading for future generations. Just as we look back to those who raced in the 1920's and '30's, so will those young men and women of 2050 look back at what we have to say about the 1960's through 2010

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's notes: the following interview came from Bill Groak.  Charles "Boogie" Scott said he has no idea where he got his nickname from. 'I've had it since I was a baby," the Louisiana native said in his distinctive drawl. "I grew up with it." Boogie has also earned the title of being a "racer's racer." His career is the envy of all hot rodders: for some 50 years, Boogie has built and driven championship quality cars for the street, the strip and the salt. Still active, Boogie was a recent inductee into the exclusive Bonneville Salt Flats 200 MPH Club, and continues to construct a variety of cars at his Covington, Louisiana shop. In fact, he's building a Cacklefest car (a remake of the Cupit and Cunningham dragster). He'll take a break when he visits Beech Bend Raceway Park as an Honoree at the 6th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15, 2008.  Bill Groak

06 Charles 'Boogie' Scott1

Groak: How does it feel to be an Honoree for the 6th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion? What does the Reunion mean to you?
Boogie Scott: I'm pretty much honored. I didn't know they'd take someone from this area (Louisiana) and I wasn't famous across the country. I was really surprised, especially when I found out who else was being honored, (Bob) Stange, (Dick) LaHaie, Gabby Bleeker. This is really an honor to be in that group. I've been to all the National Hot Rod Reunions. I drive my '27 Track T Roadster up every year. Even been to Bakersfield. The Reunions mean a lot to me. A lot of guys just aren't around anymore. I like to see the younger guys there and the old guys who keep coming back. I'm not out of racing - I'm still building race cars. I've been building race cars and street rods for 50 years, so I never left. I have a car going to Bonneville. I got the record there in my class a few years back. I went 238.5 mph.

Groak: When you were racing and building cars decades ago, did you think you'd be honored years later? Are you surprised that people remember your racing and rodding exploits?
Scott: I didn't think about - nobody thought about it back then. We were just havin' fun. I had a regular job doing sheet metal work. Building cars and racing was more like a hobby. Then I got more work building cars and realized I could make a living doing what I enjoyed. I never, ever thought about the future. Never knew there was anything to be honored for. Back then, hot rodders had a bad name - we were called hoodlums. Who would have thought that hoodlums would be honored one day? Am I surprised people remember me? Well, yes and no. People are glad to see me and I'm glad to see them. People come up to me after 40 years and we just talk and have a good time. Younger people know me as a car builder, not a racer. Young or old, we always have something to remember and talk about.
Groak: What are some of your fondest (and funniest) memories about drag racing in the in the early days? What do you miss most?
Scott: I've got lots of good stories to tell, so it's hard to pick one. I remember a race once in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1961. It was in the A-Altered class and I was in '32 Ford that was being push-started by my '51 Ford station wagon with a '51 Olds engine. I was up against a guy with a '39 Ford with a Chevy engine. My car and the push car left him standing at the line. Not only did I beat him, but so did my push car! I beat him twice. It was like rubbing it in, beating him twice. Another time I was racing and I veered a little of the track and took out all these little flags the promoter, Bob Veselka, put on the side of the track. I also took out some timing equipment. When I got back I told Bob I was sorry, but he said to 'do it again. The people in the stands enjoy it.' I guess I put on a good show. I guess I don't miss it that much 'cause I'm still doing it. I do miss racing without spending a lot of money. It takes more money to race today. Now it's work. Back then it was fun.
Groak: Are you surprised at the popularity of nostalgia drag racing and hot rodding? Why do you think people enjoy it so much?
Scott: I'm not really surprised because there are still a lot of people who enjoy it. Old-timers are racing again and people are coming back to watch. People get tired of watching the same 16 cars compete over and over again. The cars are pretty much the same today. Back then, no two cars were alike and you had 40 in each drag racing class. People remember old-time racing and how good it was.
Groak: What do you think of drag racing today compared to when you were on the circuit?
Scott: Today you need experts and a paid crew. Everybody use to be there for a good time. Today there's a lot of work and expenses so there's no way to have the same kind of fun we did. It's more of a business today. The drivers today really don't do anything else besides drive. That's why I've always admired Don Garlits - he did it all: built his own cars, towed them, and raced them, everything but drive the push car. It's too specialized today. But I can't complain 'cause today they hire guys like me to build the cars, and I can't say that's bad.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Eric Loe and I saw your request that we send in to let you know if we mind having our names listed on a website as being members of the society. I don't mind a bit! I think this is a great forum, and although I have not been able to contribute much yet,
I like it very much! Eric Loe Eric: I'll notify Mary Ann to add you to the Members List that are on the website. You can begin to contribute to the Society by working on your biography. Between 8 and 10 people have sent me outlines or fully completed biographies. It is an impressive collection and you would be surprised at their life stories. Another thing that you can do is caption your photos. Buy one of those adhesive, peel off label sheets that are used on manila folders and write what you remember on each of your photographs. Get the 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch size peel off stickers and always print legibly. Be sure to add the owner of the photographs name and some sort of address. This will allow those who borrow the photos a record as to where to return the photographs to you. Historians and family members everywhere will thank you for captioning your photos. Here's a sample of what you should say on your captions:
"Property of Joe Brown (plus address or someplace photos can be returned).
El Mirage Dry Lakes, Sept 16, 1991. 1932 Ford roadster, flathead, Riley
4-Port, Vintage Roadster class, owner Howard GoFast, Driver Joe Ledfoot,
crew Bob Wrench, best speed 157.984mph, inspector Kong Jackson."
The rule with captions is that they can never be long enough or thorough enough. Have a caption party, chips, dips and Coca Cola (proud sponsor of the NHRA - free plug) and have everyone look at the photos and come up with great captions. Make it a fun day.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You sent several pictures that at first I was not able to locate where in the Newsletter 61 they were suppose to go. However, after doing some research I found the Bio on Jerry Cornelison that go with the images. Is it okay if I link to this site so others can go to the web page for the full article on Jerry or do you possible have a different link you would rather us otherwise others, like me, will not understand the how the pictures go with this section of the of Jerry's story. Let me know as quickly as possible so I can get the Newsletter finished up for you. See http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners/goneracin.pdf. Staff at www.hotrodhotline.com. Staff (Anita and Mary Ann): I'm sure that it's alright to cross-link sites as it benefits us all and the above has appeared in the newsletter before. But if anyone sends me something and does not want their sites linked for some reason, or they want their remarks left out of the newsletter, please mark "NOT for USE in the Newsletter," or "Personal and Confidential," so that I won't put it into the newsletter or website. It is up to the senders to tell me this or I may use what you send in the newsletter. I work fast and do a lot of newsletters and I will make mistakes, for which I will always give an apology and do a retraction, but it is the sender's responsibility to be clear in their intentions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, please feel free to cross link to the Road Runners webpage and the goneracin.pdf link. I think I told you already that I have the Society link prominently displayed on the Road Runners Home Page. The more networking / linking the better I think. The only restricted page I have on the Road Runners website is the "Member's Only" page which has names, addresses, phone numbers and some Road Runners Club working documents. That page requires password entry. http://www.ussarcherfish.com/roadrunners.  Jerry Cornelison  Jerry: I would assume that most websites find it helpful to link with one another and if they have a "sensitive" section, it is usually restricted by a password, but it never hurts to ask for permission. I'm trying to find this website from England that has hundreds of racing websites listed on it. I think it was called Marty's.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I enjoyed reading your "blurb" about Bud and Joan, and the Meyer Museum. Bud and Joan are planing on heading to Sparks June 16th. It will be good to see them, and to have Bud share some "garage time." I'm building a hemi V-8 60, with a NOS 1940 V-8 60 block, and hemi heads from a 60's Brazilian Simca. Simca used the 60 from the early 50's, until 1969, with lots of modern updates. The bore spread stayed the same, and the head studs stayed the same. Bud has been a great partner in marrying the modern heads to the vintage block. We will use the Simca crank as it has a .250 longer stroke. I will send photos.  Thanks again, Doug Clem   Doug: Be sure to tell us from time to time how your Museum is doing and give us an update. We are glad that there are people out there who are keeping the Meyer/Drake family history and heritage alive, because it was a large part of our racing history.
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Stater Bros Route 66 Rendezvous proudly announced its 2008 Cruisin' Hall of Fame Inductees: Bill Hines aka "The Leadslinger" in the Builder/Designer Category; Justice Brothers Car Care Products, Inc in the Manufacturer/Vehicle Category; 1968 Ford Mustang in the Media Category; and Inland Vans Berdoo in the Historical/Misc Category. California's largest cruisin' classic car show, the Stater Bros Route 66 Rendezvous takes place September 18-21, 2008 and will transform the 35-blocks of historical downtown San Bernardino into an automotive paradise with 1900 hot rods, classics and custom cars cruising. This event is free to the spectators who will enjoy the classic cars, music and entertainment, sponsor displays, legendary guests, contests and commercial exhibitors. For more information, visit www.route-66.org.
Builder/Designer Category: Bill Hines. Also known as "The Leadslinger," Hines is one of the most accomplished customizers of his or any era. Bill Hines is truly old school. He learned, perfected and defined a skilled trade of customizing cars. Now in his 80's, Bill who is recognizable as a stogie-chewing gentleman has enjoyed his 60+ years in a career that he loves, building custom cars. And, it has earned him the grand title of Custom Car Legend.
Manufacturer/Vehicle Category: Justice Brothers Car Care Products, Inc. The Justice Brothers Car Care Products, Inc. is a successful family-owned and run business and has used automotive racing events not only as a proving ground but a place to gain credibility and visibility. Quality automotive products since 1936 has kept the Justice Brothers, who continue to research and develop to keep pace with the changing needs of the marketplace, positioned at the top of the car care industry. From car care to heavy equipment, the Justice Brothers formulates, manufactures, packages and distributes its products to every corner of the globe from its Duarte, California world headquarters.
Entertainment/Media Category: 1968 Ford Mustang. "California Made it Happen!" with the '68 Ford Mustang. The 1968 coupe was the most produced Mustang. With a production of 249,447, the coupe boasted a 200 cid engine and cost $2602. The convertible was one of the most popular Mustangs; even thought not the most produced. There were 22,037 produced and cost an affordable $2814. April 1, 1968 was not a normal April Fool's Day. It's the date that Shelby and Ford introduced the Cobra Jet 428 and history was made. With just over 4000 1968 California Specials, built only in the San Jose plant, these cars are a collectors dream. Recognizable by their 1965 Thunderbird tail lights and fiberglass side scoops coupled with the blacked out front grille and unique body striping, these coupes became the "I've got to have it" in 1968 and the sentiment still remains. The Mustang GT/California Special was only available on the West Coast during model year 1968.
Historical/Misc. Category: Inland Vans Berdoo. This local club has remained active since 1972 with the common bond being only a van. "It began with a dream of some Highland, California teens to form a Van Club like San Bernardino had never seen," states the Inland Vans Berdoo Web site. Known as Dirtyolvan, the club secretary and charter member proudly says, "We left a lot of rubber on "E" Street…our names will be on a brass plaque with the likes of Don Garlits, Chip Foose, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme…and am so honored that our group of friends, our family, made it too!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have been looking for the history and where abouts of a Series 2 Lotus Eleven that supposedly ran at Bonneville in 1966 or later. This car was created in Detroit by a group of Chrysler engineers from a new Lotus Eleven and a Valiant, slant 6 engine. There is a good article on this car in Jay Sloanes, "Lotus Eleven Register" website. It was raced thruout the Midwest, eventually passing thru Arizona in the early '60's and into California in 1964. The last owner recalls selling it to "someone in LA in about 1966 and he raced it at Bonneville." That is the last evidence we have of this car's existence. The car was know as the "Lotus Valiant." Can your group offer any suggestions on where to next look for further information & many thanks. Regards, Russ Hoenig, [email protected] 1-814-379-3266 evenings, 1-814-226-0575 fax. Russ: We are running your request in the newsletter and very likely a few people will pass this around at bench racing gatherings and probably contact you. My advice, since I'm not aware of where the car might be, is to start a phone tree search. I use this technique when I'm looking for a rarity and I've got to contact a lot of people in a short time. I have my "regular suspects," men and women who just seem to know in which direction to look. I will give you a few phone numbers and you should call them. If they don't know, ask them this question; "do you have a few phone numbers of people who you think might know?" Each time you call you are looking to expand the numbers that you are calling, so that 2 calls become 4, which becomes 8 and grows exponentially. Even if you don't find the car owner immediately, all these phone calls have the effect of stirring up the land speed community and their curiosity will spill over in conversations that they have with other land speed people. Another way is to google "land speed racing," and "sports car racing," and then email all of the website operators with your request.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, annually dedicates its June Prolong Twilight Cruise Night to female hot rodders. This year's event is on Wednesday, June 4 from 4-8 pm at the Fairplex in Pomona. 

1-Melinda Miles, David Hickey 1

"Ladies' Night is one of our most popular Cruise Nights of the season," said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Parks Museum. "We're hoping a lot of women will bring out their cars for this family-fun event." Admission to the Cruise and Museum is free on this day. Four cars will be selected by guest judges for the Budweiser Celebrity Picks Awards. All winners get a chance to cruise the strip during the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in November. Budweiser celebrity judges will include Sarah Allen from TLC's Hard Shine and Melinda Miles, writer, model and co-owner of Walden Speed Shop. Miles was most recently seen in Hot Rod DeLuxe. "It's a great way to see incredible cars and our terrific museum, including our latest exhibit celebrating the anniversaries of Coker Tire and Honest Charley," said Thacker. On the first Wednesday of the month, from April through December, the popular motorsports museum in Pomona, California, transforms into hot rod heaven as more than 350 cool pre-1970 rods, customs, classics and muscle cars fill the parking lot for Prolong Twilight Cruise Night. 

The event is hosted by the Cal Rods car club and attracts nearly 1000 people and includes raffles, prizes and a huge 50/50 drawing. The remaining Twilight Cruise Night schedule is: June 4 (Ladies' Night), July 2, August 6, August 27 (replacing September's cruise due to the L.A. County Fair), October 1, November 5 and the annual toy drive on December 3. For more information, call 909/622-2133 or http://museum.nhra.com. From Bill Groak, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4940, [email protected].

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Links to other land speed and hotrodding websites:
www.landspeedproductions.biz, http://www.landracing.com, www.speedrecordclub.com,
http://www.ahrf.com/video.php, www.hotrodhotline.com,
www.landspeedracing.com, www.Autobooks-Aerobooks.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members:

Jonathan Amo, Brett Arena, Henry Astor, Gale Banks, Glen Barrett, Mike Bastian, Lee Blaisdell, Jim Bremner, Warren Bullis, George Callaway, Gary Carmichael, John Backus, John Chambard, Jerry Cornelison, G. Thatcher Darwin, Jack Dolan, Ugo Fadini, Bob Falcon, Rich Fox, Glenn Freudenberger, Don Garlits, Bruce Geisler, Stan Goldstein, Andy Granatelli, Walt James, Wendy Jeffries, Ken Kelley, Mike Kelly, Bret Kepner, Kay Kimes, Jim Lattin, Mary Ann and Jack Lawford, Fred Lobello, Dick Martin, Ron Martinez, Tom McIntyre, Don McMeekin, Bob McMillian, Tom Medley, Jim Miller, Don Montgomery, Bob Morton, Mark Morton, Paula Murphy, Louise Ann Noeth, Frank Oddo, David Parks, Richard Parks, Wally Parks (in memoriam), Eric Rickman, Willard Ritchie, Roger Rohrdanz, Evelyn Roth, Ed Safarik, Frank Salzberg, Dave Seely, Charles Shaffer, Mike Stanton, David Steele, Doug Stokes, Bob Storck, Zach Suhr, Maggie Summers, Gary Svoboda, Pat Swanson, Al Teague, JD Tone, Jim Travis, Randy Travis, Jack Underwood and Tina Van Curen, Richard Venza.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[www.hotrodhotline.com] [www.hotrodhotline.com] [Barn & Field Cars] [Blast to the Past] [Book Reviews] [Build Articles] [Buyers Guide] [Classifieds] [Club Directory] [Event Listings] [From our Friends] [Garage Shots] [Guest Columnists] [Hotrod MD] [New Products] [Newsletter Archive] [Order a Catalog] [Our Heroes] [Press Releases] [Rodders Forum] [Rodders Row] [Shop Tours] [Vendors Directory] [Advertising Info] [Young Rodders] [Modern Rods] [Site Map]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1999 - 2007 Hot Rod Hot Line All Rights Reserved
No Portion May Be Used Without Our Written Permission
Contact Us Toll Free (877) 700-2468 or (208) 562-0470
230 S. Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83709